With late summer and fall marking the peak of wildfire season in San Diego's inland communities, Santee Junk Removal, a locally owned junk hauling company, is reminding homeowners across Santee, El Cajon, La Mesa, Spring Valley, Lakeside, Lemon Grove, Rancho San Diego, and Grossmont that clearing dry brush, dead vegetation, and accumulated yard debris around the home remains one of the most effective steps a property owner can take.
Fire officials routinely encourage homeowners in wildland-adjacent neighborhoods to maintain defensible space by removing dead branches, overgrown landscaping, old wood piles, and other combustible clutter from around structures. For many East County residents, that yard waste has been piling up in a side yard or garage for months by the time fire season arrives — and hauling it out themselves means renting a truck, making repeat runs to Sycamore Landfill, and losing a weekend to the job.
"Every year around this time we get calls from people who finally looked at the brush pile behind their fence and realized it's been sitting there since spring," said John Souphalith, owner of Santee Junk Removal. "We can usually get a crew out same day, load it all up, and it's handled. It's a small thing that makes a real difference if a fire does come through the area."
Services available for wildfire season prep include yard waste and brush removal, garage and storage cleanouts, and renovation debris removal for homeowners upgrading roofing, siding, or decking as part of fire-hardening their property. As with all Santee Junk Removal jobs, pricing is based on the volume items take up in the truck, quotes are free and upfront with no hidden fees, and usable items are still donated or recycled before anything is taken to Sycamore Landfill. The company is fully licensed and insured, with crews trained in safe handling of yard waste, storage clutter, and construction debris alike.
Residents throughout Santee and East County can request a free, no-obligation quote by calling (619) 792-1285 or by submitting a request through the company's website at santeejunkremoval.com.
